E Stout's The THINGS WE NEVER SAY-Has Lots to Say on Lack of Communication

In "The Things We Never Say" Elizabeth Strout expands the theme of human isolation and the improbability of honest, open communication. Artie is a high school history teacher who cares about his family, his students and the state of the world. The story takes place under Trump's first administration. Yes, Artie's a kind, thoughtful man who is loved by those who know him. But the question remains, how well can we really now someone. "His {Artie} study of history, he learned about the leaders, and the various groups involved, but he had somehow missed this fact about every single person that they held within themselves a vast, unknowable universe." The political tension that has polarized our country is a backdrop that magnifies secrets being kept to sustain a status quo and prevent turbulent relationships. Artie's greatest pleasure comes from his weekend sail where he steers himself through turbulent waters. If only he could maneuver himself freely and share with his wife of 30 years, Evie, what is weighing on his mind. Evie became a therapist after a girl was killed in car accident in which their son was driving. Her career highlights the hypocrisy of keeping major secrets from both spouses."Artie was aware for the first time how much people lied to one another." Strout is very direct in her condemnation of Trump. Artie and his new"best friend" Kevin who rescued him from drowning formed a friendship in which he felt at peace. With Kevin he was able to share his feelings and felt heard (as long as they didn't discuss politics.) The story becomes somewhat muddled among the layers of clandestine behaviors (shoplifting), various affairs and careers (espionage). Strout makes the point that when communication is open and trust is built, people can positively impact other's lives. Artie influence on two of his students' lives is heralded ad nauseam. However, the futility and rarity of open dialogue is rare. "Why don't people ever say anything real? Ands now he knew why. Because to say anything real was to say things that nobody wanted to know." The overall melancholia and suicidal ideations makes this a bleak novel. One can argue that Strout made her hero likable enough to engage the reader. One can argue, as Artie pondered, there is no free. So why should we care? The delicate balance between personal agency and outside forces is examined. So too is the inability to truly communicate which is truly depressing. "So blind we humans are-so blind. To each other and to ourselves moving through life as through shadows, putting out a hand in the dark and thinking we have touched someone...grasping only the smallest details of one another's selves, including our own. Thinking all the while that we can see."